Leave the selfie stick at home. What Indy 500 fans can and can't bring to IMS
Can you bring a bigger cooler this year to the Indy 500? Is wine still allowed? If you plan on joining the roughly 300,000 or more people expected at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the greatest spectacle in racing, you might need a refresher on what is and isn't allowed at the race.
The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 happens Sunday, May 26, 2024. Here's what to know about prohibited items, coolers, and other policies at IMS.
Refreshments: Can I bring food and drinks to the Indy 500? How about alcohol?
Food and drinks are permitted in most areas at IMS. You can be savvy and tote your water around in a Camelback, or just drink it out of a plastic bottle. Soft drinks, wine and beer are fine too so long as they're in plastic or aluminum cans. Glass bottles aren't allowed at IMS.
Note: guests entering the garage and pit area can't bring coolers or alcohol.
Hauling it in: Can I bring a cooler to the Indy 500? How about a wagon?
Coolers and bags are allowed at IMS, which is great when you want a snack in between tenderloins and track dogs. Go ahead and pack plenty of refreshments so long as your drinks aren't in glass containers. Your cooler can be hard or soft-sided. Just make sure it isn't larger than 18”x15”x15.”
You can bring carts and wagons to IMS, but there are limitations. They're allowed every day except Sunday during the Indy 500. Collapsible carts and wagons are OK, but are restricted in some areas.
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Pets: Can I bring my dog to the Indy 500? What if it's leashed?
Animals are not allowed at the Indy 500, with the exception of service animals specifically trained to perform tasks for individuals who have disabilities. Otherwise, leave your dog, cat or emotional support goldfish at home.
Showing your pride: Rules for flags, signs and banners
You are allowed to bring flags, signs and banners with you to IMS, but there are rules. They can't obstruct the view of others at the race. They can't display offensive or obscene material and they are not allowed in concert areas. Flag poles also are prohibited.
Getting around IMS: What's the policy on scooters, strollers, golf carts and wheelchairs?
If you've never been to the Indy 500 before, be prepared to do a lot of walking. IMS is huge. We're talking 560 acres, which makes it one of the largest sports venues in the world. That's enough room to house eight famous landmarks all at once: the White House, Vatican City, Taj Mahal, Roman Colosseum, Yankee Stadium, Rose Bowl Stadium, Liberty Island, and Churchill Downs with enough room to spare, as fact-checked by Snopes.
While you might be tempted to bring a scooter or even a golf cart to get around — don't.
What is allowed, with some conditions:
Strollers — Little tykes with little legs can be pushed around on strollers except in the concert pit and VIP areas.
Wheelchairs — Mobility devices are fine, but guests are responsible for securing them when left unattended. IMS also reserves the right to prohibit any mobility device based upon safety considerations.
What you can't have at IMS: golf carts, ATVs, scooters, minibikes, roller blades, skateboards, skates, pogo sticks or hover boards. Bicycles are prohibited as well and should be parked at Gates 1, 6 and 9.
Sitting and relaxing: lawn chairs, folding chairs are OK but forbidden in some areas
You can bring a lawn chair or folding camping chair to IMS. However, regular height lawn and folding chairs are not allowed in the concert pit or VIP areas.
'I've got a kiddie swimming pool'
And you can leave that pint-sized swimming pool at home; it's not allowed. Keep yourself cool by drinking lots of water. Keep those drinks frosty in a cooler smaller than 18" x 15" x 15".
Can I smoke marijuana at the Indy 500?
Marijuana is illegal in Indiana. You cannot smoke it at the Indy 500. To avoid an unscheduled tour of the Marion County Community Justice Campus, do not bring illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia to the race.
Smoking: What about cigarettes and vape pens?
You are not allowed to smoke, use an electronic cigarette, vaporizer or any similar product in the IMS grandstands. If you need to light up, do it 20 feet away from the buildings and seating entrances. Fans are allowed to smoke in the IMS infield.
Watching the race: Can I fly a drone at the Indy 500? Can I have binoculars?
Binoculars are OK. Drones are not. We know it would make for an awesome crowd shot but drone aircraft and aerial systems are not allowed at IMS. Speaking of crowd shots, selfie-sticks aren't allowed either. The general rule to keep in mind at the Indy 500 is this: if it can obstruct someone's view of the race, leave it at home.
Case in point, you can bring an umbrella to protect yourself against rain or sunshine, but your umbrella can't obstruct the view of others. That goes for camera stands (tripods and monopods), too. They're permitted unless they pose a safety hazard or block someone's view. Note: Camera stands are not allowed within the grandstands or concert areas.
Enjoying concerts: don't bring them items with you
Jamming out to music ahead of the race is all part of the fun at the Indy 500. However, while lawn chairs and coolers are allowed in certain areas of IMS, you can't have them at the Snake Pit. Here are items you can't have at concerts:
Camera stands.
Flags.
Video and audio recording equipment.
Camelbacks (for Carb Day).
Strollers, lawn chairs and folding champing chairs if you're in the Concert Pit, VIP areas and Snake Pit. You can bring them if you're in general admission areas for Carb Day.
Carts and wagons.
Coolers, if you're on the VIP Deck. They're OK in general admission and Concert Pit areas.
Professional cameras.
Carb Day: One Bourbon. One Scotch. One ticket for the Carb Day 2024 concert before Indy 500, please!
Don't even think about it. Leave these items at home
While fireworks and flares are fine on the Fourth of July, they're prohibited at IMS. Leave the laser pointers at home, too. Aerosol cans (other than sunscreen) can't be brought to the race. Neither can stickers, which are a pain for IMS personnel to scrape off. You can't bring trampolines either, nor scaffolding or platforms to the Indy 500 — if you want a better view of the race, you'll need to buy the right tickets.
IMS doesn't allow obscene or offensive material on clothing; you could be turned away at the gate. Flags, signs and banners with offensive materials aren't allowed either.
Leave the weapons at home. Guns, knives and ammunition are strictly prohibited.
IMS reserves the right to change its policies about prohibited items at any time. To stay up to date, review the full list of items you can and can't bring to the Indy 500 at its official website.
How to get Indy 500 tickets
Tickets for the race are on sale at IMS.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (317) 492-6700 or visiting its location at 4790 W 16th Street.
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IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni contributed to this article.
John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X at @JTuftsReports.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500: What items you can't bring to IMS
